South Korean navy receives first FFX-II-class frigate

The RoKN received Daegu, its first FFX-II-class frigate, on 1 February, according to South Korea's DAPA. Source: DAPA

The Republic of Korea Navy (RoKN) has received its first FFX-II-class guided-missile frigate, according to a statement on 1 February by South Korea’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA).

Named Daegu (with pennant number 818), the 122 m-long ship was handed over to the service by Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering (DSME in a ceremony held at the company’s Okpo shipyard on Geoje Island. It is expected to be operationally deployed from the second half of 2018.

Launched in June 2016, Daegu is the first of up to eight vessels of the class expected to enter service with the RoKN. The FFX-II class is a larger variant of South Korea’s six Incheon (FFX-I)-class ships, the first of which entered service in 2013.

According to specifications provided by DSME, the FFX-II class has an overall beam of 14 m, a standard displacement of 2,800 tonnes, and a full-load displacement of 3,650 tonnes. The platform is powered by one Rolls-Royce MT30 gas turbine engine, and two DRS permanent magnet motors powered by MTU 12V 4000 diesel-generator sets, in a combined diesel-electric or gas (CODLOG) configuration. The ship can attain a maximum speed of 30 kt.

The FFX-II class is armed with one 127 mm MK 45 MOD 4 naval gun and one Raytheon six-barrelled 20 mm Phalanx close-in weapon system mounted on the top of the aft superstructure.

It has also been equipped with a 16-cell Korean vertical launching system for surface-to-air missiles and anti-submarine rockets. The cells, each of which can be sub-divided depending on the type of missile, may also be used for land-attack missiles.

Also present on the ship are slant launchers for anti-ship and land-attack missiles, along with hull-mounted and towed array sonars as well as six 324 mm torpedo tubes for anti-submarine warfare.

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